The New Friend
by scifigirl77
Summary: The group meets a friend of Angel's after Angel's funeral. They're not sure how to accept her in the beginning, but quickly learn she has some problems in her life like them.
1. Catie

Catie was in front of the church, nervous and depressed. Her only friend, Angel, was gone. She hadn't met Angel's other friends yet. She would try to here.

She had borrowed her mom's black dress. Catie knew her mom was happy to let her use it. It was her dad she was worried about. He didn't like her being friends with people on the streets. He'll be ticked if he finds out where I am, she thought. I'm glad I'm leaving there.

Catie was moving out tomorrow. Her mom had a friend in an apartment building in East Side. She would stay there until she found her own place. She was eighteen. She could handle East Side.

She saw a group of people coming. They must be Angel's friends, she thought. They all passed her except one.

"Are you here for the funeral?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Then you must be Catie. I'm Tom Collins. Angel told me about you. I'm surprised we never met."

"Same here. She told me about you too. It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you. You'll have to meet everyone else later. We're all kind of down today."

"I know what you mean. We should probably go in there."

"Yea. Hey, do you want to get together after?"

"Sure," she said. As she was walking in, she smiled for the first time that day.


	2. At the Cemetery

Collins saw Catie by the casket. He went over and greeted, "Hey."

"Hi. That was beautiful."

"It was." The, Collins heard everyone fighting. "Not today. I'll be back." And he ran off to stop it.

Catie looked at them, then turned back. She sang as they all sang, "I can't believe this is goodbye." She sank to her knees and started sobbing. Collins came back and tried to get her up with no luck.

After five minutes of trying, he called Mark over to help him. "Her name's Catie. She was Angel's friend. I've been trying to stand her up. Could you try?"

"Sure." Mark got down and said in a quiet voice, "Hey, Catie. I'm Mark. I was Angel's friend too. We have to leave now, but I can bring you back tomorrow. How's that sound? Good?" She nodded. "Ok. Now come on, let's go."

Reluctantly, she stood. "I am going to be staying at an apartment in East Side," she said.

"I live in East Side, too. Here's my phone number. Call when you're ready to come back tomorrow. Ok?"

"Ok. Bye.


	3. The Call

Mark was awake. It was ten at night, and the phone rang. "Hello?"

"Mark? This is Catie."

"Hey. What's up?"

"Can I come over right now, please?" She sounded like she had been crying.

"What's wrong?"

"I came home from the funeral and my dad told me my mom left home. And I won't live with this man. I hate him. And I can legally leave, so I left. I'm eighteen. Please?"

"Where are you? I can come get you."

"I'm at a pay phone with my suitcase in East Side already."

On a hunch, Mark ran out onto his balcony. There she was at the phone right outside. "Look up."

She turned, saw him and waved. "Very top?"

"Come up."


	4. Sharing Tales

In the apartment, Mark made Catie some coffee. When he came out with it, he saw her talking to Roger.

"Hey. I was just talking to our new roomie, it seems," Roger said. As he passed by mark into the kitchen, he whispered to Mark, "She's good for you."

Mark thought he was crazy. He brought her the coffee and asked, "So why do you hate your dad?"

"We lived in the rich part of town. My mom was getting sick of the snootiness. Probably why she left. My dad thought we were better than the people here in East Side. But this is where most of my friends are. I get this from my mother. He didn't like that and I got fed up with his lifestyle and left."

"Wow. You gave up riches for this. I don't know anyone who would willing do that. Until now of coarse."

"Can I live here?"

"What about your mom's friend?"

"She didn't know Angel. We have nothing in common. You and I do. Plus I hear you're about to have a free room. Roger's leaving?"

"Yea."

"Why?"

Mark told her about the whole Roger/Mimi saga. "And now he's going to Santa Fe. Hey how about tomorrow after the trip to the cemetery, we go meet the other guys?"

"I guess, sure." She smiled at the prospect of possibly having other friends in this life.


	5. Meetings

The first person they went to meet was Joanne. They immediately took a liking to each other. They agreed to get together that night and get to know each other more.

Then it was time to meet Maureen. Catie thought she was nice but a little crazy. "Is she always like that?" she asked Mark as they left.

"Yea, pretty much. You get used to her quickly, though. Trust me." They both laughed then.

They went to Benny at his office. Catie thought if he saw things differently, such as the homeless people issue, she might like him more. For now, she didn't like him very much.

The last place they went to was to see Mimi in rehab. Catie thought that once they got to know each other, they could become good friends. Mimi thought so too.

At dinner with Joanne, Catie realized how hard being a lawyer was. The more she and Joanne talked, the more she liked her. Catie couldn't believe how big this group of friends was and that she would be part of it someday.


	6. Calls and Feelings

While Mark was waiting for Catie to come home from her dinner, he got a call from his Maureen. "Mark? Who is this girl? Where did we find her? Is she part of our lives forever now?"

"Maureen, you don't sound happy."

"I'm not ready for someone new. We just lost Angel. Suddenly, this girl appears and we're just supposed accept her? I'm not ready yet!"

"I know. Take some time to get to know her and you'll like her, I guarantee it. Ok?"

"I guess so. When can we get together, her and I?"

"I don't know. Let me ask her and I'll call you back."

"Ok. Bye."

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When Catie and Joanne got back to apartment, Catie went to put her pajamas on. Joanne looked at Mark. "She likes you a lot. I don't just mean as a friend."

"I know."

"Well? What about you?"

"I don't know yet. Ok?"

"Ok. Tell her I said goodbye. I have to get home. Big case tomorrow."

"Ok bye."

"Bye."

The truth was Mark did like her. But he had a feeling she hadn't old him everything yet. So he didn't tell her about his feelings.

Catie agreed to getting together with Maureen. Mark called her back and told her so. She was very happy about this meeting. They would get together on Saturday for the whole day. Mark was somewhat nervous but knew Catie would be fine.

He didn't get to sleep that night because of his feelings for her. He sorted his thoughts and made breakfast for them both.


	7. The Truth

A few weeks later, Mark still hadn't told Catie how he felt. He knew she hadn't told the group everything for sure now. Maureen said after she and Catie had gotten together that Catie was hiding something. "But all in all I liked her," Maureen said.

Mark decided to confront her. When she told him, he would deal with it and then tell her his true feelings. How that would go, he had no idea.

She walked into the kitchen. "What's for breakfast?"

"Catie, are you not telling me everything?"

"What? Why did you say that?"

"Because Maureen and I both think you're hiding something. Are you?"

She wouldn't look him in the eye as she said, "Yes."

"What is it?"

Tears were welling in her eyes. What had happened to her? She said, "Remember my parents? Well, it turns out that my dad isn't my dad. My mom was married before, divorced, married 'my father' and didn't tell him about me until she was in labor. My dad has hated us since then and even tried to get my mom to put me up for adoption. I don't know my true father, and I don't want to anymore. Happy?" She was crying as she ran for the rooftop of the apartment building. He ran after her, wanting to help her but not knowing how.


	8. True Feelings

She was in a chair on the roof, looking sad but content. He decided to let her cry and he would come back. As he was leaving, she sang, "Give in to love or live in fear."

"You saw me come up, didn't you?"

"Yea. I know you love me, Mark. I've known since I moved in."

"And you? How do you feel?"

"At the moment, sad, depressed. My love is trying to come up, but sadness is pushing it down."

"Would it help if I said that I really do love you?"

"A little. Just let me think for a while. Please, Mark."

"You got it." He went back to the apartment to finish breakfast. He needed some advice about all this. He knew where to go. He left Catie a note saying where he had gone and if she wanted to join him.

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Catie came back and found Mark's note. She wanted to go after him but decided to give him a while to himself -like he did for her. Half an hour later, she left to get him.


	9. Coming Home

Mark went to Angel's grave, knowing somehow he would find the help he needed. He got there and said, "Hey. It's Mark. You probably know why I'm here. I need help with this whole true love stuff. I've never had true love before so my world is upside down. I don't know what I should do or say or..."

"Try 'I love you' and 'be mine' and all those other things you're supposed to say," he heard Catie say behind him.

"Ok, how's this one? I love you very much and I know this is real. What should we do now?"

"Kiss." And they did, a long, passionate, true lovers kiss.

"Ok. Now I think I will say: Catie, will you please marry me?" Mark asked.

"So soon? Why don't we wait a while and then I'll answer. Deal?"

"Good. Let's go home."

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That night, Roger came home from Santa Fe. Catie ran onto the roof, saw him and almost tackled him in a hug. After she went to sleep, Mark told Roger everything that had happened. He said he was going to tell everyone else tomorrow.

"Look, I'll do it for you. Take your girlfriend out for the day. Ok?"

"Thanks man. Tell them everything." And with that, Mark went to bed.


	10. Best Day Ever

Everyone available came to lunch the next day. They were all happy to see Roger, even Benny. When he told them about Catie, they decided to help make her feel at home and happy. They all did like her a lot. Roger asked Benny to tell Mimi for him. He wasn't ready to see her yet.

That night the call came that Mimi was missing. Everyone went searching. After a few days, Catie thought, Where would I go if I was running? The bus station where I could get as far away as possible. But Mimi wouldn't do that. The park.

She called Joanne and asked if they had checked the park. She said they were going there next. "I'm coming too," Catie said. She hung up and ran out.

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They brought her back to the apartment. Catie sat near Mark, praying that her new friend wouldn't die. She listened to Roger's song and saw Mimi wake up. She was so happy. Around one in the morning, everyone was still awake. Catie took Mark aside and said, "I want to marry you. Life's too short to wait around." They went and told all the others. This was the happiest night for the gang.


	11. Weddings

Mark and Catie got married the same day as Roger and Mimi did. Everyone was extremely happy for all of them. They were so happy that Benny stopped asking for the rent from people. Maureen and Joanne actually worked out their problems and are back together. Mark got his job with Alexi back and now makes a steady paycheck. Collins got a full time job at MIT and comes back for Christmas and birthdays. Catie became pregnant with a girl. They named her Angel after their friend whose death brought them together.

Life after Angel's death was never the same. And life after the weddings was great for everyone.


End file.
